


Facing Bullets

by Headfulloffantasies



Category: Firefly
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Guns, No one gets hurt, bandits, highjacking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28634106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headfulloffantasies/pseuds/Headfulloffantasies
Summary: Simon faces down Mal's gun. “If I ever try to kill you, you’ll be awake, you’ll be facing me, and you’ll be armed.”Let’s test that theory!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Facing Bullets

**Author's Note:**

> *banging on coffin lids* Is this fandom still alive?

Simon didn’t hear them board Serenity. The bandits had snuck on the ship while Simon slept. They’d rounded up the crew, including River, and led them off the ship. All of them except Simon, sleeping in the med bay.

He was the only one who could save them. All he had to do was get help.

Simon snuck across the storage space. The cargo doors were open. He hopped off the ramp. There was no one in sight, just miles of open desert. Simon dodged around the side of Serenity and ran smack dab into the bandits.

Four men in scruffy shirts led by a woman in a blue leather duster turned as one to face Simon. He froze. 

Captain Reynolds stood in front of the woman, who was clearly the leader. Behind him, the rest of the crew knelt in the dust. Simon’s gaze found River at once. Kaylee held River’s hand as she shook like a leaf. She rocked back and forth and held her head in her hands.

One of the bandits raised his blaster at Simon’s face. Simon slowly lifted his hands.

The woman grabbed Mal’s arm and shoved him forward.

“Who is this?”

“No one,” Mal said too quickly.

“You planning a coup, Reynolds?” She unholstered her blaster.

“I don’t gorram know him,” Mal insisted.

“Then kill him.”

Mal hesitated. Simon stepped back slowly. 

The woman raised her blaster at Simon without taking eyes off Mal. “One more move mister and you’ll be walking without a gorram head.”

She nodded to one of her other bandits. He tossed Mal his blaster. Mal fumbled it. 

“What exactly do you expect me to do, Patty?” Mal snarled.

Patty’s smile sent a shiver down Simon’s spine.

“If you don’t shoot this pretty boy here,” Patty said. “I’m going to have Alex shoot all your pretty girls.”

Simon’s eyes snapped to River. She gave no indication she’d heard, still rocking and clutching her head.

Patty bared her teeth at Mal. “The girls or him?”

Mal leveled his blaster at Simon. Simon flinched. Mal said, “Do you remember what I told you about killing you when we first met?”

Simon licked his lips, “Yes.”

Mal cocked the gun, “Today’s the day, boy.”

Simon’s heart thundered. 

Mal took a step towards him. 

Simon moved. He dove at Mal, tackling him around the middle. They hit the ground hard. Blaster fire sizzled over their heads. Simon risked looking up. 

Jayne and Zoe had wrestled blasters from the nearest two bandits. They exchanged fire with the last standing bandit. He didn’t last long. Shepherd Book knocked Patty to the ground. A single punch took care of her.

Simon heaved a sigh of relief. 

Mal shoved Simon off him.

“Why’d you do a gorram thing like that?” Mal spit dirt from his mouth.

Simon startled, “I thought- you said- I thought you meant it was safe to attack.”

“Attack?” Mal scoffed. “I meant stay still and I wouldn’t hit you.”

“Oh.” Simon blinked.

“Oh,” Mal mocked. He shook his head and walked away grumbling, “All that fancy schooling and not a cows turd for a brain.”


End file.
